REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Biodiversity Conservation

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This REU site at University of North Carolina Wilmington will bring together a multidisciplinary group of undergraduate students and faculty to address the critical societal issue of anthropogenic biodiversity loss and ecosystem modification. Nine students a year, from geology, biology, environmental studies, and archeology will participate in the project for eight weeks on site, with the opportunity to continue the research at their home institution and to present and publish their results. Students will collect and compare data from the fossil and archeological record and modern marine communities to understand anthropogenic ecosystem change. The scientific goal is to understand: 1) the structure of the marine molluscan community prior to a mass extinction in the western Atlantic about two million years ago that was similar in scale and cause to the current biodiversity crisis; 2) faunal response to and recovery from this extinction as seen in the fossil record; 3) evidence of community structure from the archeological record of shell middens prior to intensive modern anthropogenic change; and 4) the current composition, structure and health of the marine community at sites varying in degree of anthropogenic disturbance. The work will document natural variability of the system, allowing natural changes in biological systems to be disentangled from those induced or magnified by human activities. Study of temporal changes in the marine community will be used to determine the degree and nature of anthropogenic alteration, assess the health of the modern community, and identify possible approaches to protecting biodiversity. The project will create a positive research experience for a diverse group of students that will encourage them to continue in the field, equip them for graduate study and careers, and enhance abilities to work in multidisciplinary teams. The project has potential societal consequences in building a diverse pool of students who are aware of issues in biodiversity conservation and who can work across disciplines to develop innovative approaches to addressing these issues. Student collections will be reposited at the Paleontological Research Institution, where they will be available for use by other students, educators and researchers as well as form a basis for public outreach (to be funded separately), including an exhibit on biodiversity conservation at PRI?s Museum of the Earth.